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How IoT Revolutionized Several Areas of the Ecommerce Industry

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The Internet of Things (IoT) continues growing at a rapid pace, with more and more devices and apps tapping into the power of a global cloud. Consumers have already seen advances in things such as smart homes, autonomous vehicles and smart cities. However, IoT also continues to revolutionize e-commerce and businesses of all types.

There are currently more than 10 billion active IoT devices, with the number growing constantly. It isn’t surprising the technological changes impact nearly every industry, including online retail. Around 60% of the devices are utilized directly by consumers.

People expect a certain level of technology from the retailers they do business with. Whether you’re looking at inventory control, easier online ordering or logistics, IoT has an impact. Here are the ways IoT revolutionized e-commerce recently and how you can tap into the trend.

1. Offer Virtual Trials

The ability to use virtual mirrors and augmented reality makes it much easier for customers to shop online. Try on clothes and see what they look like or use an app to size your outfit correctly.

Ikea offers the ability to place a piece of furniture in a room to make sure it fits in the space and see how it looks with other objects already there.

When people shop online they can’t physically touch the item, but the IoT can help them get a good idea of how it might look and make a more informed decision. How can you best answer your customer’s questions via an app?

2. Save Money

Linking into the cloud and databases allows companies to save money on things such as what type of plastic is best to use for wrapping pallets or how much inventory might be required to meet demand.

Choose the best product for the job. For example, using Galewrap outperforms pre stretch wrapping film by about 90% in force to load tests.

3. Improve Supply Chain Management

When the pandemic struck, companies everywhere had trouble getting and keeping items in stock. The supply chain experienced disruptions like we haven’t seen in decades. Fortunately, the issue drove e-commerce owners to seek solutions in supply chain management.

IoT devices do everything from tracking inventory and ordering when supplies run low to allowing customers to watch a delivery from the warehouse to their front door.

An added benefit of utilizing software to track products is the ability to see how long delivery takes and improve logistics on the fly.

4. Increase Customer Satisfaction

The good news is that studies show customer loyalty is on the rise. In a recent survey, 90% of consumers stated they were loyal to brands, an increase of 24.82% over the year before. One of the key indicators of whether a customer stays with you is how happy they are with your service.

IoT allows you to track customer satisfaction and improve it. Follow-up with a ping to their cell phones, track the performance of products and make improvements on the fly.

5. Embrace Personalization

Consumers are used to a more personalized experience online. Sites such as Amazon.com track past browsing and buying behavior and suggest purchase options. Today’s technology allows e-commerce stores to offer a level of personalization otherwise unmet.

For example, you can ping the person’s phone when a new product arrives, use augmented reality to put the item in their virtual hands or follow up on abandoned shopping carts.

6. Develop Better Websites

More and more people use their smartphones to access the internet. The added use of smaller screens means websites must be adaptable to mobile devices. IoT changes the way e-commerce sites behave.

Your site needs to reach people who use their cell phones for online shopping. If your site doesn’t convert well, then it needs more work to play into current trends. Shopping should be a one-step process without endless forms to fill out.

The Future of E-Commerce and IoT

As more and more devices hook up to the internet, expect the IoT to have an even greater impact on e-commerce. The apps and shopping experiences of today may morph into voice controlled functions and more realistic experiences. Be aware of changes and how they apply to your particular niche to make the most of the advances.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.

Source:Plato Data Intelligence

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